


A force of nature, your energy, it comes naturally

by Toomanyfandoms99



Series: Postbellum [11]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Drama, F/M, Family Drama, Felucia, Fluff, Force Bond (Star Wars), Jedi Code (Star Wars), Lightsaber Battles, M/M, Mutual Pining, New Jedi Order, Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Romance, Sparring, Tatooine, mission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 13:31:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21198452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toomanyfandoms99/pseuds/Toomanyfandoms99
Summary: Luke furrowed his brows and tiredly went over to her.  He had never seen this man beside her before, and he didn’t feel like a meet-and-greet.Luke reached the duo and examined the man.  There was nothing special about him at first glance.  He was shorter than Luke, with olive skin and dual scars on his cheekbone.  His nose was large, and his black hair was a wild mess.When Luke gazed directly into his eyes, though, he was hit with an onslaught of information.If Leia were a windstorm in the Force, this man was a thunderstorm.





	A force of nature, your energy, it comes naturally

**Author's Note:**

> Here’s the origins of Skybridger through Luke’s perspective. I extended the end so it comes full circle back to the first fic in the series.
> 
> These parallel fics were inspired by Skybridger fics from wrenstars.
> 
> The title was taken from the song “Naturally” by Selena Gomez.

Luke Skywalker met Ezra Bridger after another solo Jedi artifact retrieval mission. It hadn’t gone well, with part of the writings having been worn and torn over time. But he got the information, and would have to decipher what he could on his own.

He warily descended his starship ramp, Artoo wheeling behind him. He beeped a good-natured sentiment to alleviate Luke’s disappointment. When that didn’t work, Artoo nudged his boot and nearly made him lose his balance.

Luke laughed, the full force of his happiness leaking out of him like a cracked faucet spewing water. Artoo booped, Threepio finally finding his way down the ramp.

“You shouldn’t knock people over, Artoo,” Threepio fretted. “It will get you stripped for parts one day.”

Artoo said in binary ‘it would get me away from your annoying presence.’

The droids argued their way out of the hanger, and Luke snorted fondly at the duo.

“LUKE!”

Luke turned towards the sudden exclamation, echoing through the dim starship hanger.

Leia’s windstorm of a Force signature battered him with her sudden presence. She held up an arm and started waving, an unfamiliar man beside her.

“Come here!” Leia said, motioning her arm towards them.

Luke furrowed his brows and tiredly went over to her. He had never seen this man beside her before, and he didn’t feel like a meet-and-greet.

Luke reached the duo and examined the man. There was nothing special about him at first glance. He was shorter than Luke, with olive skin and dual scars on his cheekbone. His nose was large, and his black hair was a wild mess. 

When Luke gazed directly into his eyes, though, he was hit with an onslaught of information.

If Leia were a windstorm in the Force, this man was a thunderstorm. 

In a single blink, Luke peered into the Force. This man’s Force signature was all crackling thunder and sparking energy and torrential rain.

These signs were meant to spell danger, but Luke, oddly enough, felt safe around him.

“Luke,” Leia introduced, “this is Ezra Bridger. Ezra, this is my brother, Luke Skywalker.”

Oh, Luke remembered his name now. Leia had mentioned the Ghost crew before. But...they were thought lost. The only other two Jedi left in the galaxy were not supposed to be here!

And yet...they were here.

Luke had never felt so excited!

“Your brother?” Ezra asked confusedly, not understanding how the two were related.

Luke was used to the puzzlement. The twins were complete inverses of each other. Where Leia was dark hair and hardened eyes, Luke was light hair and softened eyes.

“It’s hard to explain,” Luke said amusedly, offering a hand, “and I’m glad to meet you. I’ve heard of you.”

Ezra clasped Luke’s hand, and the sign that spelled safety was bolstered by Ezra’s warmth. He may be an exposed electrical wire in the Force, but he had the warmth of a bright lightning bolt spearing through the dark, setting a tree alight.

“You’ve heard of me?” Ezra asked incredulously, his voice the beginning rumbles of a stormcloud.

“Yes,” Luke cleared his throat discreetly and glanced at Leia, “my sister, along with many others, believed your crew to be lost. I was saddened that I couldn’t speak with other Jedi who could help me.” 

Luke frowned as an afterthought, and realized how many times he almost drifted away in this conversation already. Ezra’s Force signature had enough animal magnetism to make Luke wish for things that he shouldn’t.

They just met! Why was Luke suddenly a tangled mess inside?

“If it’s help you want,” Ezra said, exuding enough sweetness and kindness and excitement to render Luke endlessly curious, “perhaps we can learn from each other.”

The suggestion had Luke’s heart soaring, and he smiled brightly at this man, who he just met but felt a kinship to. This man who he wouldn’t mind getting to know more about. This man who radiated Force energy but was the shelter in the storm.

How could Ezra Bridger be the storm and the shelter at the same time?

Luke was intrigued. He wanted to know more.

Leia read his eagerness and slipped away, leaving the two men to talk. 

Ezra didn’t seem to notice anything but Luke, and the undivided attention had him beating down a blush.

“So,” Ezra grinned, and it captured Luke in a dizzying spin, “you won the war, huh?”

Luke was usually uncomfortable by the question, having heard it so many times over the past weeks. But Ezra was genuinely curious, and did not mean to offend or harm him.

“I didn’t do much,” Luke said sheepishly, “and I’m not being modest. I really didn’t.”

“Well,” Ezra said dazedly, dark blues eyes on his, “whatever you did saved a lot of lives.”

Luke felt everything inside of him burn. Ezra’s gaze was the most powerful force he had ever encountered. Ezra’s entire being focused on him in a way that Luke thinks has never happened with anyone else before. Not even with Leia.

Feeling like the topic exhausted itself, Luke nudged his head. Ezra walked with him, and Luke brought them towards his ship. The ramp was still extended, and the hanger was dim and quiet. He didn’t know how late it was at night, but Ezra’s alertness meant he wasn’t tired.

Maybe he had trouble sleeping too.

“I bet you have better stories to tell,” Luke said dreamily. “You’ve been all over the galaxy.”

“Is that what you want?” Ezra’s smile was permanently stuck to his face. “To travel the stars?”

Luke guided them up the platform and sat against the edge. “It’s why I became a pilot. I wanted to leave Tatooine by any means necessary.”

Ezra dropped alongside him, crisscrossed on the angled platform. His gaze never left Luke’s as he asked, “did you say Tatooine?”

“You know it?” Luke snorted. “I’m surprised.”

“I crash landed there,” Ezra said, “when I was fifteen.”

Luke’s spine straightened in shock. “What?!”

Ezra said, gaze stuck between awe and amusement, “I guess we didn’t miss each other by much, huh?”

Luke’s eyes widened comically large. “I guess not.”

“Well,” Ezra chirped, “we know each other now. Maybe it wasn’t our time, then. To meet.”

At the same time, they said, “the Force works in mysterious ways.”

They laughed together, and somewhere in the middle of it, they locked eyes.

Ezra was astounding. His magnetic field in the Force was keeping Luke glued to this spot, entranced by a conversation where neither man could stop smiling.

Luke wasn’t alone anymore. He wasn’t the last Jedi in the galaxy. He had someone he could trust. Someone to talk to, someone who understood.

They detailed their adventures, and Luke was hypnotized. He lost track of time, and didn’t realize it was morning until Leia appeared on the ship.

Leia gave him a smile that said ‘you adore him and I know it,’ which Luke ignored.

When Ezra walked away, it took all of Luke’s willpower not to sigh like a lover.

That’s not what they were. Nope. Don’t think about it, Luke.

“So,” Leia flounced around the loaned ship smugly, “should I even waste my breath in asking what you thought of him?”

Luke unceremoniously dropped his face in his hands, absently registering his exhaustion; Ezra’s excitement made him forget he hadn’t slept in two days.

“Leiaaa,” Luke whined.

Leia only laughed. “Write Mon’s report fast. Then you can take a nap,” her voice teased, “and dream about Ezra.”

Luke sighed deeply and left abruptly, before Leia could eye the heated blush rising up his neck.

Luke mediated in his room to calm himself, tossing out his thoughts of Ezra. He wrote his report and promptly crashed out on his loveseat.

When he awoke again, Leia brought him dinner, which he ate with gusto. Afterwards, he went inside his training room, which was bare save for supply crates along the walls. 

He ignited his lightsaber and worked with a training bot, switching up the targeting system whenever he got bored. 

An hour in, Luke was once again faced with Ezra Bridger. He was wearing a rust-colored jacket that flattered his built form, the longer split ends of his hair tied into a bun. 

What Luke would give to unfurl that hair in his hands…

No. Stop, Luke.

Ezra wore that brilliant grin of his as they sparred. It was clear that Ezra was the more seasoned fighter, but Luke had adaptability on his side.

Luke threw himself into every match, not thinking about Ezra’s impressed expressions or wild hair or sweaty muscles.

He definitely wasn’t thinking about Ezra’s arms.

They sparred all night, Luke wondering where the time had gone. Ezra went off on a mission with the Ghost crew, and Luke found himself pondering a great many things.

He spent hours in mediation, seeking answers as to how he could become so attached to Ezra so quickly. 

The Force responded by erecting a neon heart sign.

Luke opened his eyes as if gasping out of a lake, having dove into the deep end.

The Force wants this. It wants them to be together. 

“But why?” Luke asked the air. “You said no attachments.”

The Force whispered back by creating a breeze in the still room. It lightly lifted up the documents that Luke acquired, and Luke walked towards them.

He picked up the scroll, and read the title of the document: “The Original Jedi Code.”

Luke nearly forgot how to breathe, and he read eagerly.

The Code was five curt statements, one following the other: “Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force.”

Luke dropped to the floor as an afterthought, blinking at the words that were originally used to form the Jedi Order.

These were the words he had to follow. There was no rule against attachment. It simply said there was a balance that must be fulfilled.

Luke and Ezra were a part of the plan, whatever it was. They would have to unite, no matter what form that took, to ensure their future. It was their destiny.

The Old Jedi Code changed Luke’s entire thought process in seconds, his mind reconfiguring to account for the change. He vowed not to fight his natural attraction to Ezra anymore. He would be patient, and wait for Ezra to accept it too.

Whenever Ezra returned from a Ghost mission, they sparred in Luke’s training room. They dropped tidbits about their lives and traded lightsaber techniques. Luke opened up his heart as much as possible, and Ezra’s Force signature exuded moonlight in response.

Ezra began to transform, after that. Where Luke once saw lightning and thunder, there was also drizzling rain. His storm had tamed itself naturally, which Luke attributed to his encouraging Ezra to meditate more often.

They soon had their first mission together, with everyone in Luke’s family taking special interest in him the day before.

He usually got in and out of the mess hall quickly to avoid congestion, but he was boxed into sitting at a table by Leia and Wedge.

“So,” Wedge said, nudging Luke’s shoulder, “someone’s goin’ on their first mission with their boyfriend.”

Luke scoffed and shot his friend a look. “Ezra’s not my boyfriend.”

“But he will be,” Han said, plopping next to Leia and Chewbacca, “and that’s what’s important here. You know,” he leaned across the table towards Luke, and lowered his voice, “I thought you were gonna be celibate your entire life. Be all zen and bantha shit. And that’s not a good look.”

Leia snickered into Han’s shoulder, and Chewbacca chortled.

But Luke did not blush. He did not gawk at the topic of dinner conversation.

He simply rewound Han’s words and said, “Leia and I wouldn’t be alive if Jedi abided by celibacy rules.”

Wedge choked on his caf, and Han nearly dropped his fork.

Luke stabbed into his wedged meiloorun fruit and chewed casually.

Han blinked, and he used his elbow to prop up one arm. His chin rested on his hand, and he studied Luke very carefully.

“Huh,” Han said unceremoniously. “Interesting. How you’re not…”

“What?” Luke asked noncommittally, not really caring for an answer but knowing Han had to say his peace.

Leia finished for Han, “how you’re not embarrassed about it. Or denying it.”

Luke shrugged. “Should I?” 

“That’s...that’s good, Luke,” Han said with a decisive nod.

“Are you going to,” Leia asked, “do anything about it?”

“Me and Ezra?” Luke ignored Leia’s sparkling eyes, seeking an answer at any cost. “If it happens, then great. If not, that’s fine too. I’m sure I’ll live.”

Wedge whistled softly. “He just schooled us all on a healthy relationship. We can go home now.”

There was good-natured laughter, and Luke cast it to the back of his mind.

The following day, Luke and Ezra were sent to set bomb charges on an Imperial energy core. The only problem was that the core was in the middle of a cavernous hole.

Luke put his brain on overdrive, counting the seconds it took for the timed shield to shut down; they needed more seconds. He searched the cave for answers, then looked inward, Ezra a silent supportive presence.

That was something about Ezra that Luke adored. Ezra knew intuitively when Luke needed silence, or when he needed to be alone with his thoughts. It was as simple as a nudge through the Force for Ezra to tame his inner storm so Luke could think.

Luke resorted to the Force, knowing that the shield, albeit timed, could break their fall if it failed.

Luke realized he was crouched by the cave edge, and he rose smoothly to his feet. Ezra had drawn closer to him without Luke noticing, and he stepped back almost hesitantly.

What Luke would give to be closer...

Luke shut his eyes, surrendering himself to the Force. The energy creating a biting edge to the minimal air responded in kind, twirling between his fingers as if weaponizing them. The suffocated air particles tickled his skin, and he opened his eyes. He remembered Ezra had said something about not having enough time earlier, so he found a reply.

“Then we use the Force,” Luke said, meeting Ezra’s uncertain gaze and tearing it away before he could think about how beautiful Ezra looked in the crystalline light.

He stepped off the cave floor before he thought too much about it and splayed out his palms so they faced the nonexistent ground.

After a second of panic, Luke leveled himself out and began to walk on air.

Luke couldn’t believe that worked!

He refused to get caught up in his elation and laugh in relief. He had to remain focused and reach the core.

Luke chanced a glance over his shoulder when he was halfway there. Ezra hadn’t moved, staring down the endless pit, doubting his own abilities.

Luke beamed, capturing the entirety of Ezra’s attention.

“Come on,” Luke chuckled, “it’s fun.”

Something that Luke said or did clearly affected Ezra more than he was letting on. Ezra simply cleared his throat and breathed, but Luke knew there was more going on under the surface.

Before Luke could think about it, he felt Ezra’s presence as he dove into the Force, wading in the waters. He stepped off the cave floor, and turned his palms down to even out his control.

Luke smiled proudly over his shoulder and continued walking, reaching the durasteel faster than he thought he would. Ezra wasn’t far behind, and Luke unzipped the bag of bomb charges.

Deciding to have a little fun, Luke purposefully brushed their fingers every time he handed Ezra a bomb charge.

And oh, he definitely noticed.

They mechanically secured bomb charges against the energy core, and Luke noted how Ezra occasionally averted his gaze.

Ezra was flustered!

Luke soon secured the last charge and dropped the empty bag down the hole. With the evidence disposed of, Luke switched on the bomb controller. Ezra glanced over his shoulder, body heat close to Luke’s neck, to ensure the time was correct. He nodded a single time and Luke held his finger against the switch.

“Ready to run?” Luke asked, adrenaline surging through him, a preemptive smile on his face.

Ezra grinned back, matching Luke’s adrenaline with his own. “Are you?” 

Luke answered by flirtatiously flicking the switch, starting the countdown.

Luke grinned mischievously, uncaring of how childish he was being, because Ezra’s lunar Force signature was intoxicating. He darted away a second later, using the Force to propel him across the pit.

He heard Ezra bark out a laugh, and he caught up to Luke’s bounds. They reached the cave floor and ran back the way they came, ignoring the pounding red alarms and Imperials shooting at them.

Luke made evasive maneuvers without using his eyes, relying on his body and the Force. Ezra matched his movements exactly, and he could tell Ezra didn’t even know he was doing it!

Their laughs were lost to the wind as they left the Imperial base in the dust, only stopping when a bomb blast went off a half-mile away.

They dropped onto the rocky ground, kneeling to brace after the impact. They could feel the burn from the explosion, hear it ringing in their ears, even from so far away.

But neither cared, taking deep breaths and smiling idiotically at each other.

Luke wanted nothing more than to forget everything and frame Ezra’s face in his hands. Watch Ezra’s eyes widen as he leaned closer, cling to Luke as they kissed.

Ezra tipped his head down, breaking their eye contact and shaking his wavy hair. Ezra coughed, and turned around to survey the destruction. 

Luke remembered where he was and followed his gaze. Smoke and fire resulted in utter chaos at the base, and Ezra rose to his feet.

“We should get to the ship,” Ezra said warily.

Luke agreed and chose to follow his example, the pair jogging another half mile where their starship rested.

He didn’t want to rush anything, after all. Ezra was still getting there.

This mission was followed by a reconnaissance mission with Ace Squadron. Glad to be among his team again, Luke took a break from thinking too much about Ezra. 

Or at least that was the idea.

He gladly flew his X-wing and listened to his squadron chatter. 

“It’s been too long,” Kosa remarked. “I thought we would never get out of that base!”

“Got that right,” Juno said. “The kids were starting to annoy me.”

Reena laughed. “Don’t let your wife hear you say that!”

“She doesn’t have a comm anymore,” Juno said. “It was unnerving me that she could listen into our conversations.”

“Speaking of comms,” Wedge said conspiratorially, “I saw Leia give Luke’s boyfriend one!”

“WHAT?!” They screamed.

“What boyfriend?!” Kosa yelled.

“LUKE!” Reena shrieked.

“Who is it?!” Juno demanded.

Luke sighed loudly. “Ezra’s not my boyfriend!”

There was a chorus of loud ooh’s.

Wedge countered, “but you want him to be!”

“Our Commander has a crush,” Kosa cooed. “How adorable.”

Luke scoffed. “So what’s this about Ezra having a comm?”

There was a silence.

“Kriff,” Wedge said flatly. “He could have heard that.”

“I don’t think he did,” Luke said. “Even if he did, who cares, right?”

There was another silence.

“Wow,” Reena said softly, “you’re really not mad at Wedge?”

“No!” Luke snorted. “I honestly don’t care if he hears or not. Don’t even worry about it.”

There was a beep on Luke’s control panel, and he examined it.

“We’re reaching our target. Enough chatter,” Luke said, assuming his role as Commander easily.

The mission was completed smoothly, and Ace Squadron dragged him into the on-base bar for a round of drinks.

Luke had consumed a glass of Corellian whiskey by the time Wedge gasped loudly enough to catch the group’s attention.

Wedge leaned over the table and said, “you’re not gonna believe who’s here!”

Luke sighed and rocked against the booth seat. “Well now I know.”

Kosa hissed, “is Luke’s boyfriend here?”

“Not my boyfriend,” Luke reminded them curtly.

“He’s with Han at the bar right now,” Wedge said. “Take a look at Luke’s future husband.”

Luke made a disgruntled noise as several heads swiveled towards the bar. Were they trying to embarrass him because they knew they couldn’t?

Reena grinned at Luke. “He’s scruffier than I thought you’d go for.”

“But cute,” Kosa decided. “Definitely cute.”

“Did you know in the early days of the Rebellion,” Wedge said, “that Ezra was a master thief?”

“And I’m guessing,” Juno smirked, “that he stole Luke’s heart?”

Ace Squadron cackled, and Luke snorted. “Whatever, Aces. Whatever.”

“So,” Ezra glided over out of nowhere, crouching behind the booth so his head was between Luke and Wedge, “I’m guessing the mission went well.”

Every gaze went to Ezra, and Luke ignored them all. He said from a side angle, “it was an easy mission. And I see you’ve finally met Han.”

“Ah, yes.” Ezra said proudly, “I told you Leia couldn’t hide her boyfriend from me forever.”

“You seem to be having a good time,” Luke said carefully, Han downing another drink.

Ezra shrugged, and Luke noticed they hadn’t taken their eyes off each other. That sent the message, loud and clear, that Luke was Ezra’s top priority.

“Do I have to,” Luke asked concernedly, “drag Han out of here in a little bit?”

“No,” Ezra sent him a dizzying smile, “I’ll take care of it.”

“Sure?”

“Yeah. I can get Chewbacca to help if I need backup.”

“Okay.” Luke cleared his throat at how considerate Ezra was, and realized that eleven heads were observing them closely. “So this is Ace Squadron.”

Ezra waved shyly and slid his eyes towards the group, turning on his charm. “Hi. I’m Ezra Bridger.”

Ace Squadron went through introductions, and were soon interrupted by Han over at the bar insisting that he make his own drinks.

Ezra rolled his eyes and assured Luke that he would take care of Han, and to have fun.

When Ezra was out of earshot, Luke received several pointed looks that did the teasing for them.

After that night, Ezra and Luke were sent on multiple missions across the outer rim. He caught the Ghost crew fighting hard against Ezra leaving, but he overheard Ezra curtly remind Kanan that he was a capable Jedi.

The rift that they caused would be a problem for a later date. Ezra didn’t speak about his family drama with Luke, and focused instead on giving Luke his attention. Luke was often too dazed at having those eyes on him, but knew the Ghost situation would crop up in due time.

They went to planets of every biome, scouting for Imperial bases. The locales were beautiful, and Luke was sure that Leia had something to do with the chosen planets. But he was too giddy at the chance to explore new worlds that he didn’t care.

They went to a planet plunged in eternal winter, so cold that Ezra gave Luke extra clothes and blankets to warm his desert skin. They went to a planet where flora and fauna were every possible color, and Ezra endearingly made flower crowns to amuse him. They went to a planet entirely made of mountains, and had Force jump races in unpopulated areas. They went to a planet where everyone lived in the sky, and Ezra giddily had Luke touch a cloud, to Luke’s delight. They went to a planet where there were hardly any humanoid beings at all, and Luke learned of Ezra’s extraordinary ability to soothe animals.

It became clear to Luke, when Ezra had tamed one of the most dangerous beasts in the galaxy, that he was in love. So ridiculously in love that friendship may not cut it.

After a wonderful string of missions together, they were sent to stop bounty hunters from receiving precious information and selling it.

In the end, Luke found himself falling down a mountain.

He was ready to fall unconscious and deal with the repercussions later, but Ezra hugging him in midair kept him awake.

What was happening right now?!

Luke didn’t quite register the wind buffeting him as he fell, sinking into the Force. He grasped at straws, seeking a foothold to break his fall. The Force abided by his frantic grapples, not to mention Ezra’s blind panic, his signature a sparking wire.

An inch before the ground could meet his face, they began to hover.

Holy kriff…

Luke closed his eyes, and could feel Ezra as well as himself working together to break their fall. Ezra was too panicked to notice that their auras had intertwined, and the intimacy of it made Luke’s breath catch.

After a fleeting moment, they collapsed to the ground, Ezra moving so he would break their descent. Ezra sat on his feet and elevated Luke’s upper half.

Was his head cradled in Ezra’s lap right now?

He heard Ezra say his name, and the single syllable rolled off his tongue so sweetly that Luke swore he was dreaming.

He blinked open his eyes and exhaled deeply, the pain of their fall finally getting to him. No bones were broken, but the bruises and scrapes would be awful.

The warmth of Ezra’s hand on his cheek soon became apparent. Luke realized how cold his skin was, and slightly curled into the touch.

Luke said hoarsely, “I didn’t think you would catch me.”

Expecting Ezra to let out one of his infamous snort-laughs, Luke proceeded to be supremely disappointed when he didn’t. Ezra bit on his bottom lip worriedly instead, and Luke wanted to kiss away his concern.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Ezra asked gently.

Luke smiled before he even knew he was doing it. Ezra smiled back, clearly unaware how lovesick they would look to an outsider.

Oh, his hero…his Knight… 

Despite wanting to swoon, Luke observed, “you’ve got a lot of scrapes.”

“Yeah?” Ezra scoffed. “Well, you’re worse off.” His gaze veered to the side, catching sight of something. “We have to get out of here.”

Luke decided to throw caution to the wind and touch Ezra’s hand over his cheek. Ezra stared at him, eyes blown wide, a shade of red-pink on his olive skin.

Now that was a proper reaction!

“Ezra,” Luke said softly, “thank you.”

Ezra looked ready to lean down and say something, the very thing that Luke had been waiting to hear.

But Ezra did a sharp turn in the opposite direction and offered his arms. He helped Luke to his feet, and Luke tried not to think about Ezra’s body heat, and how his own Force signature was a blazing sun struggling to contain itself.

This mission was followed by a battle, where Ezra saved Luke from getting his neck sliced by a vibroblade. Ezra paid for intervening with a new scar, which Ezra insisted wasn’t a big deal. Every time Ezra sensed Luke’s guilt, he would send Luke that gorgeous grin of his to wipe his mind blank.

It was a dirty trick, but whatever.

The night before an artifact retrieval mission, Leia burst into Luke’s room for no reason and made herself comfortable.

“Dear brother,” she said as she flopped on the loveseat, “are you ever going to make a move?”

Luke shoved her legs away from the cushion and received a swat in response. “I have no idea why you just barged in here.”

“Are you going to make a move?” Leia demanded, saying each word slower. “You’re killing me, bro!”

Luke sighed and dropped into the cushion Leia’s legs vacated. “It happens if it happens.”

“That’s your problem!” Leia stuck a finger in his face, reminiscent of Han. “It’s not an if! It’s a when!”

Luke blinked. “Why are you speaking in absolutes?”

Leia gave him her ‘are you really this dumb’ look. “Come on, Luke. You had to have noticed.”

He did notice. He had been noticing way too much lately.

He noticed the change in Ezra’s aura, pouring rain rather than unleashing lightning. He noticed how Ezra’s entire body stood at attention when he walked into a room. He noticed how Ezra’s everything was so in tune with Luke that his mind wandered to the things they could do with such power.

“Is this your grand plan, then?” Luke asked. “To go on a double date mission and get one of us to break?”

Leia grinned delightedly. “I was wondering where my genius twin went. Good to know you’re still with us.”

“I’m not sure it’ll work,” Luke said warily. “At least not for Ezra.”

“The target isn’t Ezra,” Leia said cheekily.

Luke scoffed. “You’re way too invested in this.”

“I’ve been there since the beginning. Of course I am.”

“Sure, you introduced us,” Luke shrugged, “but a normal sister would leave it alone.”

“That wasn’t the beginning, Luke,” Leia said knowingly. “The beginning is when Ezra caught sight of you for the first time and was mesmerized.”

“Whatever.”

“I mean it!” Leia swatted his arm. “He couldn’t look away from you, Luke! He was just too stupid to realize what happened!”

Luke decided that thinking about the prospect made him too elated. He didn’t feel like unpacking it, especially with a very smug Leia in the room.

“That was the past.” Luke rose to his feet. “Now get out of my room so I can sleep.”

Leia beamed and stood. “Sweet dreams.”

She giggled girlishly and left his bedroom.

When they boarded the Falcon the next morning, Luke caught Leia nudging Ezra forward. 

But, as Luke predicted, Ezra did not make a move. Ezra seemed content to listen to Luke’s nervous ramblings as he fixed parts of Han’s ship whilst in hyperspace.

Rambling was a quality that Luke didn’t much like about himself, but if Ezra found it endearing, he could learn to understand why.

After the artifacts were safely aboard the Falcon, a torrential rainstorm barred them from leaving the planet.

Luke loves the rain, so he keyed open the ramp and ran outside. Leia wasn’t far behind, having missed Alderaan’s rainstorms.

The two danced in the heavy rain, soaked to the bone within seconds. Leia twirled in her poncho, a parabola of raindrops fanning out around her. Luke threw his head back and laughed, rain cleansing his entire being.

Then, after a moment of pure serenity, Luke sensed a whimpering crack of thunder in the Force.

By the time Luke knew where to turn his head, Leia had breezed past him towards the Falcon. She swerved past the man who was walking towards him.

Ezra’s boots sank into the muddy grass, and he smiled kindly at Luke. The Force cast an invisible umbrella over his form, but his aura was dousing him in water as well.

He was ethereal… 

Ezra finally reached Luke and asked, “having fun getting soaked?”

Luke grinned nervously, moving past the shock of his arrival. “I am. You should join me.”

Ezra offered a hand. “Or you could get yourself dry for a little bit.”

Luke stared at the outstretched hand and promptly blushed.

There was more that he was offering, not just to shelter him from the rain. The difference this time, though, was that Ezra knew exactly what he was doing. The determination and clarity in Ezra’s eyes was evidence to that.

Luke’s hand clasped Ezra’s, and Luke felt as if he was taming a storm, lessening its destructive power and strengthening its rain. 

Ezra’s rain would heal, and cleanse, and purify. 

Luke would make it so.

Luke stepped into Ezra’s personal space, the Force keeping them both safe from the downpour.

Ezra rose to his tiptoes, balancing evenly. Luke squinted his eyes once they were level, and Ezra said a soft, “hi.”

“Hi,” Luke whispered, wondering what Ezra’s play was now that they were this close.

Luke’s heart was pounding at how close they were!

Luke tipped his head down so he could regain his composure. His lashes hooded his gaze, and Ezra responded by staring directly at Luke, letting his gaze burn through him.

“Luke,” Ezra said, “can I tell you something?”

It was going to happen, wasn’t it?

It was. It finally was!

Luke slowly upturned his gaze, albeit hesitantly. “Yeah?”

There was a beat where Ezra weighed his options, and Luke nearly faltered. Would he back out at the last second, now that they got this far?

But his concern wasn’t warranted. 

“I’ve been captivated by you since the second I saw you,” Ezra began softly. 

Holy kriff. A confession!

“This entire time, I’ve been imagining myself as someone freefalling down a cliff,” Ezra said, “but seeing you dancing in the rain finally grounded me. And the ground wasn’t hard, it was soft.”

Luke’s eyes widened in understanding, the metaphor making sense to him.

“I thought that falling in love was supposed to be dangerous,” Ezra murmured, “but I’ve never felt safer. I’ve never felt happier.” 

That explained why Ezra always pulled away! He was afraid of his expectations as a Jedi. He was afraid of the Jedi Code that resulted in the Purges. He was afraid of love and attachment!

Luke had to show him the Old Jedi Code. Ezra would understand, then.

Through this whirlwind of thoughts, Luke made a snap decision. 

He saw hesitance creeping in on Ezra, and heard him say, “does that make sense? I-I hope that makes sen-”

Luke caught up with his words and leaned in, pressing their lips together. It was sloppy, but Ezra surrendered with a whimper in the back of his throat. That spurred Luke to cup Ezra’s face, like he had wanted to for months, and deepen the kiss. Ezra reciprocated gladly, palming Luke’s sides and molding their bodies together.

None of this was coordinated, but Luke had never felt happier.

For curiosity’s sake, Luke peeked through the Force, faced with light that didn’t spark and rain that didn’t drown him.

Whatever conflict that had marred Ezra’s aura up until this point was effectively extinguished, and Luke realized that he was most likely the cause.

Now that nothing was left unsaid, Ezra was the sun breaking through the clouds after a storm. He was the rainbow in the atmosphere, there for all to admire. He was the puddles that children jumped in after a downpour.

Ezra Bridger was pure, and he was good, and he was beautiful.

Then, a shock of cold rain fell through the Force umbrella, lancing into Luke’s skin and forcing them to pull away.

Wide eyes blinked at each other, and Ezra chuckled. He soon lost control of himself, snort-laughing as his entire body was soaked with rainwater. Luke found himself smiling amusedly at the situation.

Ezra tamed his grin, and Luke fought against the urge to kiss him again.

They should probably get out of the rain before Luke does that.

Luke offered his hand, at a loss for words, and Ezra grasped it. The two smiled as they walked up the Falcon ramp, dazed by what just happened.

They had forged a new path together, and Luke decided to ignore Leia’s smug smile and Han’s knowing grin when they entered the Falcon.

————

“You can’t bench one eighty,” Ezra scoffed loudly.

Luke lingered in the doorway of the weight room. He usually didn’t go inside, preferring to train by himself. But hearing Ezra’s voice inside explained why he sometimes disappeared when he should be meditating. He was a more physical being, while Luke was a more mental being.

Don’t think about physicality, Luke. Not now.

Luke peered inside the weight room, catching sight of Han.

He furrowed his brows, and heard him say defensively, “I’ve done one eighty before! I swear!”

“When you were twenty,” Wedge snorted, doing pull-ups and keenly registering Ezra’s veiled challenge.

Ezra, meanwhile, was jogging leisurely on a treadmill, somehow keeping up when it was on the highest speed setting. Luke caught Reena and Kosa gaping at how Ezra could run so fast while barely breaking a sweat.

“I’ll bet Ezra can do it,” Kosa chimed, and Luke nearly crashed into the doorframe.

“I’d rather not measure dick sizes,” Ezra said breezily. “Thanks, though.”

Reena coughed on her water bottle, and Han fell off the weight bench. Ezra didn’t even miss a bound, and Wedge cackled along with Kosa.

Han struggled back onto the bench and said, “forget it. You’re all cooler than me. I understand.”

“Know who’s the coolest, though?” Wedge said.

“Luke,” Reena and Kosa answered in unison.

Luke decided to wait a few beats to caress Ezra’s Force signature. Ezra reacted instantaneously, propping his legs on the edges of the treadmill and shutting off the power.

He beamed as Luke entered the room. “Hi!”

Luke smiled back easily, watching four heads snap towards him in surprise.

Here was the thing: Wedge, Reena, and Kosa didn’t know they were together yet. 

Luke was about to have some fun.

He heard Han’s amused snicker as Luke reached the treadmill. Ezra tipped his head down, his wavy hair hiding a mischievous smile. His dark blue eyes glinted, the two on the same page instantly.

Without so much as speaking a word, Luke cupped Ezra’s face in his hands and leaned up, accounting for the treadmill’s height. Luke kissed him slow and deep, Ezra grasping his belt loops and reeling him closer. 

He heard Wedge’s exclamation and Kosa’s shriek and Reena’s whistle.

Ezra stepped back dazedly, entranced by Luke in a way Luke was just beginning to understand. Ezra didn’t tear his gaze away as Luke held up a hand towards their onlookers.

“Hold for applause,” Luke said cheekily.

“You nerf herder!” Wedge exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me first?!”

“Sorry,” Luke grinned, “I’m having too much fun messing with you.”

“You know what?” Kosa laughed. “I’m not even mad!”

Reena glanced at Han. “You knew, huh?”

Han smiled. “I was on the mission, kids. I know what’s up.”

“It was Leia’s scheme,” Luke said with a shrug. “I suppose I’m predictable.” He absently looked up at his boyfriend. “Are you done running in place?”

Ezra teased, “I was supposed to do ten more minutes.”

“Well that’s too bad,” Luke said breezily. He stepped away from the treadmill and waved. “See you tomorrow.”

He received waves in return, and knew that Ezra was on his heels.

As Luke found his way to his room, Ezra grasped his hand and held on. Luke guided them through the hallways, passerby blinking down at their intertwined hands and sending on the information.

Luke was having too much fun.

“Where are you taking me?” Ezra asked from behind Luke.

“I need to show you something,” Luke offered vaguely.

“Oh,” Ezra’s eyebrow shot up, “is this something a little naughty?”

Luke whirled around and smacked his chest. “No!”

Ezra laughed so hard his head tipped back, his grin impossible to contain.

Luke dragged an amused Ezra to his room, the door sliding behind them. He let go of Ezra, and his entire being was at attention.

Ezra had never been in his room before. Luke allowed him a moment to take in the contents: an unmade bed, a loveseat, a table, a fresher room, and documents scattered about random spaces. He also had more lamps than a person should, an array of holo photos gathered around his nightstand, and a sand-colored rug to remind him of Tatooine. Most of the colors were nondescript tan and white and gray, but his constant presence in the room was apparent.

Luke dug through the pile of documents he found the night he met Ezra. He found the worn scroll he was searching for and said, “I think you should see this.”

Ezra stepped towards Luke, out of his trance, blinking down at the unrolled scroll. He saw the title “The Original Jedi Code” and bristled.

“Holy kriff,” Ezra’s eyes widened. “This has been in your bedroom?!”

Luke smiled innocently. “Just read it, Ezra.”

Ezra scanned the page multiple times. Luke already knew the words by heart:

“Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force.”

“That’s…that’s it?” Ezra furrowed his brows at Luke. “Five sentence fragments and sixteen words?”

“Uh huh,” Luke chirped, “that’s it.”

“Why did you show me this?”

“Because you needed to see it,” Luke replied. “It’s why you waited so long to tell me your feelings, right? The no attachment rule?”

Ezra blinked. “Am I really that transparent?”

“Only to me,” Luke said breezily. “I just wanted to show you this version. It’s what I live by.”

Ezra read the Code again and said, “I think I’ll live by this too.”

Luke offered, “you can borrow it. If you want to...show your Master.”

Ezra mumbled, “I’m not sure if Kanan will like it. Thanks, though.”

“Anyway,” Luke dutifully changed the subject, “did Leia, by any chance, give you a comm link connected to the Ace Squadron comm system?”

Ezra’s small smile was playful. “I’ve been waiting for the right time to use it.”

Luke sighed. “You mean wait until you’re mentioned and say that you’re there eavesdropping?”

“You make it sound so lame.” Ezra shook his head. “It’ll be hilarious. Just you wait.”

“If you say so, dork,” Luke quipped.

Ezra gaped in mock offense. “If anyone’s the dork here, it’s you!”

“How about it’s a draw?” Luke suggested slyly.

Ezra scoffed. “Fine. Wanna steal some sweets from the kitchens?”

“Is this how you flirt?”

“Actually,” Ezra lifted a small candy from his pocket, “I already took something from a tray we passed on the way over.”

Luke blinked at the candy wrapper and sighed. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

“So are you,” Ezra chimed.

“Thanks,” Luke said dryly, “I did my hair different.”

“Kriff,” Ezra said, “you’re somethin’ else, aren’t you?”

Luke hummed in agreement.

Ezra then became just as obsessed at looking for Jedi artifacts as Luke. Ever since Luke opened his door to Ezra, he made himself at home in Luke’s personal bubble. The two wound up spending most nights with tangled legs on the loveseat, switching from page to page and murmuring something new they hadn’t known.

It was Ezra who discovered a slew of stories dating back to the Clone Wars era.

“Luke,” Ezra said, “I found something on your father.”

Luke frowned instinctually. Ezra knew that Anakin Skywalker was his father, but he didn’t know what had become of him. He clearly thought nothing of sharing the information, but something was made prevalent in Luke’s mind.

He would have to tell Ezra the truth one day. Maybe not today, but someday soon. He deserved to know.

Luke leaned towards Ezra on the couch, their shoulders brushing, legs in a tangle.

“According to this,” Ezra said, “they used him to sell war bonds in propaganda holos. They called him ‘the Hero With No Fear.’” Ezra wrinkled his nose. “Dramatic, huh?”

Luke thought of Darth Vader’s floating cape, and fought back a snicker.

Dramatic, indeed.

Luke rested his cheek on Ezra’s shoulder, hearing Ezra’s breath hitch at the subtle movement. He read further, and said, “then that makes my Master ‘the Great Negotiator.’”

Ezra read the name attached to the monicker, and exclaimed, “what?!”

Luke chuckled, his lips catching on Ezra’s jawline. “You asked me the first time we trained who my Masters were. That is one.”

“Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Ezra said dazedly. “I met him on Tatooine. Yes. I remember.”

“That can’t be a coincidence,” Luke murmured.

“He must have been protecting you,” Ezra said. “Right?”

Luke hummed an affirmative.

“I see. Who was your other Master?”

Luke skimmed the page, and laughed when he found the name. “‘The Grandmaster.’ He must have hated that!”

Ezra asked incredulously, “you were trained by Master Yoda himself?!”

“I had to go to Dagobah. A swamp planet. It wasn’t exactly fun.”

“Still,” Ezra emphasized, “you’re cooler than me.”

“That’s not difficult.”

Ezra nudged him. “I hate you.”

“No you don’t,” Luke said.

Just when they were gaining a rhythm as a budding couple, Ezra was thrown back on the Ghost. Luke tossed his mindset into flying missions and tried not to miss Ezra too much.

But how could he not ache when his second counterpart in the Force was countless parsecs away?

Leia and Han and Chewbacca and Ace Squadron and the droids prevented him from sulking too often.

Luke greeted Ezra with open arms the night he returned, Luke nearly wanting to ask him to stay in his room. But Ezra was too good to take advantage of him. And Luke knew it wasn’t time yet.

This was followed by a mission where Luke wound up clutching Ezra while he used a grappling hook to save them from Imperials.

Honestly, there were worse ways to spend a day. Way worse. Not to mention how peaceful it was to sleep beside Ezra for the first time.

When they returned to the base, Leia suggested a lightsaber duel to boost morale. Luke and Ezra practically flirted the entire time, batting their blades back and forth with no intent to hurt.

After they were declared tied and the crowds dispersed, the acute presence of the Ghost crew set Ezra on edge.

This was a rift that would keep coming up until it was resolved. Luke knew this. But he also knew that Ezra took things at his own pace, or he would do something reckless. Better that he sort things out himself before approaching Luke.

Even though he didn’t want to, Luke left Ezra to fight with his family. He went to the kitchens and kindly requested desserts. Since Luke occasionally gave them recipes from when he cooked on Tatooine, the chefs on base favored him. He was given a basket of assorted pastries and chocolates, and Luke went up to his hiding place on the roof. He had to wait longer than he thought.

Ezra later followed his Force trail, and Luke was there to greet him, prepared to pick up the pieces.

Ezra walked towards him, lowering himself on the blanket, the basket between them.

“Hey,” Luke said softly, his lips curving into a hesitant smile.

Ezra grinned, and Luke knew how difficult that was for him to do. But he also knew, in this moment, how truly important he was to Ezra. 

“Are you trying to romance me?” Ezra teased.

“While that wasn’t my original intention,” Luke said airily, “let’s say yes. Then what would you do?”

Ezra cupped Luke’s face in his hands. Luke’s eyes closed as he waited. Ezra redirected his course at the last second and kissed Luke’s nose. 

Luke snorted and scrunched his nose. “Weirdo.”

Luke opened his eyes when he heard Ezra’s laugh. His Force signature nudged Ezra’s gently, expressing his delight at the action. In response, Ezra’s thumbs dashed across Luke’s cheeks, catching the edges of Luke’s smile.

After a moment where neither man said anything at all, Ezra slid his palms away and plucked a chocolate pastry from the basket.

When Ezra finished the pastry, Luke said carefully, “you can tell me, if you want. I’m here.”

Ezra sent him a quick look, as if unsure whether to take him up on it. But after a beat, he chose to unload rather than bottle up his feelings inside.

He looked at the striped pattern of the blanket Luke brought to the roof. “My family still sees me as a kid,” Ezra began. “I know that makes me seem like I’m being childish,” Ezra sighed, “but they won’t even entertain getting to know you. And no, they don’t know about us.” Ezra scoffed. “I want to tell them. I really do. But they’re too suspicious of you. For no reason! They’re finding ways to blame you for my behavior.” His tone added bitterly, “as if I don’t have free will.” 

Ezra stared at the blanket, contemplating what else he could say to make it better, and shook his head at a loss.

He sighed again. “I’m sorry about them. You don’t deserve that. Or this, for that matter.”

Luke shifted so that he crisscrossed directly in front of Ezra, the basket off to the side. He tilted Ezra’s chin up and received nonverbal permission to touch him further. Luke cradled Ezra’s face in his hands, and Ezra smiled.

“This is what you meditated for so long over,” Luke mused, sensing a tinge of Ezra’s conflict from when he locked himself away earlier. “You already know the answers, so I won’t waste my breath on repeating them. All I want to say,” he murmured, “is that you have several friends on this base that care for you. Not because they’re your family, but because they see you as you are: a Jedi trying his best in a new galaxy that’s just beginning to take shape. They care for you because you’re witty, and you’re nerdy, and you’re sweet. Because deep inside, you’re good.”

For a romantic speech, Luke thinks he nailed it!

But Ezra simply blinked and said softly, “I wasn’t always good.”

Luke tilted his head to the side in pure confusion, his hands dropping into his lap. “What do you mean?”

“I suppose you deserve to know,” Ezra said, fiddling with his cargo pants as he glanced down. “I nearly fell to the Dark Side many times,” he confessed.

What?

“Too many to count,” Ezra continued. “I even trained with a Sith. My act of teenage rebellion. I was sick of waiting to be taught in the Light, so I found the Dark. I almost lost myself, and it took my family to remind me who I was meant to be.” Ezra’s face twisted, as if reliving it all over again. “It took years of detoxing to get back to normal, to repent in the Light. It took more anguish than you’ll ever know to become the guy you see before you. So, you see,” he concluded, “I’m no saint.”

Luke couldn’t say that it was unbelievable. He couldn’t lie to himself.

Luke believed him. He believed that Ezra would do those things. Ezra did what he thought was right, not what actually was right. Luke could understand the decisions he made and why Ezra’s Force signature was so magnetic to him when they met.

Ezra’s aura was that of a once-lost soul, one that suffered far more than Luke. The damage manifested itself in a storm, a never-ending cataclysm of dangerous sparks and the fear of lightning strikes.

But that storm cleared when they kissed. Ezra was the rain, now. He was drizzling showers that watered crops and leftover puddles that splashed carelessly about the roads and the stream that carried away harmful bugs.

Ezra deserved to know Luke’s truth. He deserved it more than anyone else. He deserved everything that Luke could give him.

If Ezra could bear his heart to Luke tonight, so could Luke.

His salient eyes glistened, and his voice caught against the nighttime breeze. “My father is Darth Vader.”

Ezra’s unblinking eyes narrowed. “Your father,” he emphasized, “is Anakin Skywalker.”

“Mhm,” Luke hummed, grinning despite the tension in the air.

He could pinpoint the exact second that the implication registered to Ezra. 

Ezra reeled back, eyes blown wide.

“No,” Ezra choked, shaking his head in disbelief. “No.”

He didn’t see the similarities? How strange. It was all that Luke saw, sometimes.

Luke explained amusedly, “the Emperor told me it was my destiny to fall to the Dark Side. But what did I do instead?”

Ezra’s head was spinning, he could see it happening behind his gaze, so Luke lightly touched his hand. Ezra inhaled, and Luke did too, waiting for what was to come next.

“Luke Skywalker,” Ezra exhaled, “I love you.”

Luke had known before that Ezra loved him. A part of him had always known. But hearing it said aloud made Luke incredibly pleased, and he smiled.

“That’s a relief,” Luke murmured, “because I love you too.”

As if the Force had been holding its breath for ages, it exhaled deeply and broke out into applause.

————

There was an art for choosing what to wear after reaching the final level in a relationship.

Luke couldn’t wear nothing. He couldn’t wear his full outfit. He had to find a balance.

“Passion, yet serenity,” his mind cheekily supplied.

Ezra was so deeply asleep that he wouldn’t wake for quite a while. Luke was overthinking things, as certifiable geniuses were wont to do. Or at least that’s what Leia said.

Luke cast as many glances in Ezra’s direction as he wanted, knowing how casual Ezra was about his body. 

How could a man with washboard abs and gorgeous olive-bronze skin be so nonchalant about it?

Luke would never understand that. He would have to show Ezra one day just how beautiful he was.

He stared at his clothes closet as if expecting the right outfit to magically appear in front of him. He folded his arms and furrowed his brows, a towel from the fresher around his waist. His hair was air drying, leaving damp waves that Luke couldn’t be bothered to fix properly.

There was a balance to choosing clothes, or the lack thereof. He knew he needed a shirt, but wear it how? 

Perhaps not a tee. A button-up.

Luke smirked at himself and sifted through his button-up shirts. He chose a more casual button-up, the thin fabric a white so pure that Luke stifled a giggle.

Ezra did say that Luke was bright in the Force…

He kept the shirt unbuttoned and studied his selection of pants. None of them seemed right, if he was staying in bed for now.

Luke went for his boxers, slipping on a black pair that was a little tighter. He tossed his towel in the laundry bin, frowning that it was almost full. He hated chores so much.

Luke studied himself in the tall closet mirror and decided he was the right amount of ‘come hither’ for Ezra.

With that done, Luke went over to the loveseat and flicked on his comm link. He laid on the side pillow so that his voice couldn’t accidentally awaken Ezra.

“Leia?” Luke said into the comm.

“Luke?” He could imagine Leia’s frown. “Is something wrong?”

Luke held back a laugh. “Not at all,” he said brightly. “I have a hypothetical question for you.”

“Okay,” Leia said, “I’ve decided that it’s late enough in the morning to comprehend your words.”

“What would happen if,” Luke asked, “I did nothing at all today?”

There was a pause. “But you have a docket today. Training and prepping for the next mission.”

“Yes,” Luke replied, “but what if I didn’t do any of it?”

“Luke,” Leia said, “you’re worrying me. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine!” Luke smiled joyfully. “Promise!”

“Okay,” Leia thought for a beat, “maybe you could get away with it. Hypothetically.”

“I thought so too.” Luke chuckled in elation. “I don’t want to be disturbed today, Leia.”

“Okay,” Leia said, “now I’m worried. I’m completely worried. What is going on with you?”

Luke only laughed more, trying to muffle the sounds in the pillow. He was suddenly very high on the memory of last night, and he was enjoying his sister’s naivety.

“Oh,” Luke said airily, “could Ezra hypothetically miss a day too?”

Leia gasped so loudly that she clearly crashed into something. He heard Chewbacca growl off to the side, and Han exclaim for him to be quiet.

Luke heard a door close, and Leia yelled into the comm, “HOLY SHIT, LUKE!”

He snorted. “So is that a yes or a no?”

“LUKE! KRIFF!” Leia remembered to breathe, slowly calming herself down. “Okay. Wow. Okay. How am I the one freaking out when it was you that HAD SEX FOR THE FIRST TIME?!”

“You gonna calm down,” Luke asked, “or what?”

He heard Leia take a breath. “Okay. I’m trying. Okay. This is just a big deal. I’m really proud. So proud. Wow. I’m such a great matchmaker.”

“Yes or no?” Luke reminded her.

“Oh. Right.” Leia recalled the question. “I suppose neither of you have anything pressing to do today. So yes. Catch up on sleep. Have more sex. Be happy. Yeah.”

“I’ll leave you to rejoice,” Luke said dryly. “Goodbye.”

He set the comm link on the table and heard his prosthetic hand whirr and hiss. Luke frowned down at his hand and switched off his skin setting.

With a whine followed by a tremble, the skin setting shut down completely, leaving his metal arm exposed.

Luke sighed and flipped the switch. It turned back on, but sputtered and died again. 

“Karabast,” Luke muttered to himself.

He didn’t feel like fixing it yet, since it would take a while. He decided to roll the dice and leave it be, allowing his metal hand to breathe.

He rifled through his Jedi artifacts scattered about the room. There was a book he found a few weeks ago, which he had been slowly reading.

Luke grasped the leather-bound book and sat on his side of the bed. He used his pillow to prop his back against the headboard. He pulled up his knees and used his thighs as a bookrest. He flipped open where he marked a page and read until he sensed a change in Ezra’s breathing.

Luke softly examined Ezra as his lashes fluttered, long and graceful against his cheekbones. A section of ink black hair had brushed against Ezra’s forehead during the night, and it lingered against thick eyebrows. His wide nose scrunched as if feeling the tickle of the hair strand. His lips twitched, and Luke refrained from brushing his thumb across their silkenness. The dual scars on his cheekbone caught against the light, making them almost nonexistent.

Ezra’s eyes opened, disoriented sapphires searching for a foothold. Luke primly turned his gaze away, skimming the page he was on.

Ezra’s gaze was on him as he turned to the side, and Luke allowed him this time to soak him in.

After a moment where no words were exchanged, Luke’s eyes slid over to Ezra curiously.

Ezra was currently admiring him, studying him so closely that Luke wondered if he would have to worry about idol worship.

He marked his page and closed it, tipping his chin down. Telltale heat rose on his cheeks, and Luke tested out bashfully, “hey, Ez.”

Luke watched Ezra remember last night, how Luke sighed out one syllable instead of two. It was originally a mistake, but Ezra reacted positively to the nickname.

More than positively.

Ezra’s velvet lips curved into a wry grin, his eyes sparkling more than a starry sky. “Hey, Luke.”

Shyness was replaced with an uncertain smile. Luke said haughtily, “you slept half of the day away. Congratulations. Truly.”

“Did I?” Ezra used his elbow to level himself with Luke. He realized that the sheets were hardly covering his waist, but he didn’t make to cover up. Ezra knew exactly how good he looked.

Luke nearly lost his mind. Ezra wanted to drive him mad!

Ezra did a one-arm shrug. “Eh,” he said casually, “we deserve an off day.”

“I took care of our obligations,” Luke said smoothly. “So yes, we have a day to ourselves.”

If it were possible, Ezra grinned wider. “In case I didn’t make it clear last night,” he said confidently, “I love you.”

“I know,” Luke said smugly, setting the book on the nightstand and stretching out his legs.

Oh, he knew, alright. He knew by the way Ezra touched him, rambled about what felt good to him, the way Ezra’s lips were drawn to his skin.

Ezra didn’t have to say those three little words out loud. Luke knew from the way his body moved.

“Now c’mere,” Ezra quipped, patting the free part of his pillow.

So far, Luke was hiding his prosthetic arm on the opposite side. This was going to be awkward.

Luke smiled nervously and laid on his side, pitching his metal arm behind his back.

Ezra’s brows furrowed instantly. “Why are you hiding your arm?”

Luke lied, “no reason.”

“Luke,” Ezra arched an eyebrow, “come on. What is it?”

“Nothing,” Luke said weakly.

“It’s something,” Ezra said pointedly. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” Luke repeated.

“I’m going to annoy you until you tell me,” Ezra said decisively.

Luke knew he would. He knew that Ezra would, and so he sighed.

He said blankly, “the skin setting on my prosthetic is malfunctioning. I don’t want you to see.”

Ezra batted his eyelashes in a beat of thought.

“Well,” Ezra concluded, “you don’t get to decide that. I want to see.”

“No you don’t,” Luke whispered, mostly for himself.

“I do,” Ezra emphasized. “Show me.”

When Ezra made it clear that his stubbornness wouldn’t let up, Luke removed his arm from behind his back.

Ezra’s curious eyes widened as he held the prosthetic in his flesh hands and examined it. He extended a finger, dragging it along the sleek silver metal of Luke’s palm and fingers. When the prosthetic reached his wrist, Ezra roved over the metal parts in place of arm bones and circuitry in place of blood veins.

He was amazed. Full of wonderment.

Luke was not expecting that.

Ezra splayed out the metal fingers and placed them on his cheek. Luke pliantly allowed his palm to touch Ezra’s cheek tenderly. Ezra curved into the feel of the prosthetic arm like it was the sun and he was a passerby soaking in the radiance. Ezra did this, sometimes, when he needed Luke’s comfort. 

But with Luke’s flesh, not his prosthetic hand.

Luke felt a lump form in his throat, but he swallowed it down.

Ezra murmured, “it feels exactly the same.” He set his heart eyes on Luke. “I wouldn’t mind seeing this every once in a while.”

“Really?” Luke whispered in disbelief.

Ezra kissed the inside of Luke’s wrist in answer.

Luke really did have no reason to be insecure!

Luke surged forward on a whim, pressing his smile into Ezra’s lips. Ezra chuckled in the back of his throat, kissing back as fiercely as possible.

Ezra leaned back first, and Luke realized his metal hand was hovering close to Ezra’s abdomen. Luke sheepishly giggled into the pillow, but didn’t make to move his hand.

“What?” Ezra asked. “What is it?”

Luke pointedly gazed downwards, and said softly, “I thought I imagined those.”

Ezra followed his eyeline, and saw that Luke was looking at his stomach. Luke boldly traced the air to form a line with two horizontal branches.

Ezra gaped at Luke. “My abs?! You thought you imagined my abs?!”

Luke hid his intense blush in the pillow, laughing at Ezra’s exclamations.

“I worked hard for these! Don’t insult them! They’re real!”

Luke let out a peal of laughter. “‘Them,’” he mocked, followed by more chuckles.

Ezra closed his fingers around Luke’s wrist and splayed metallic fingers on his abdomen. “See? Real.”

Luke made to pull his hand away, but Ezra’s eyes spelled ‘stay.’ Luke found himself caught in a trap, and he couldn’t deny Ezra’s request.

“You can touch me,” Ezra allowed, a grin preceding a teasing tone. “In fact, touch me wherever you want.”

“Ez,” Luke said exasperatedly, shaking his head and huffing. He traced his metal fingers across the lines of Ezra’s abdomen, incredibly hesitant. When Ezra didn’t make to stop him right away, Luke continued drawing for another moment. 

Ezra asked, “what should we do today?”

Luke’s eyes shined as he answered, “absolutely nothing.”

Ezra laughed delightedly. “Well, I’d think you want me to shower.”

Luke shrugged. “Go ahead. You can borrow a pair of my pajama pants.”

Ezra blinked, and Luke pinpointed the millisecond where his brain short-circuited. “Yeah?”

Luke hummed. “I think you’d look good in the orange pair.”

Ezra smiled. “I’m about to take the fastest shower ever so I can make out with you a lot.”

“Don’t rush. I’ll be right here.”

“Oh,” Ezra held Luke’s face like a wilting flower, “I wish I were a poet.”

“I don’t want you to be,” Luke murmured, “that’s my job.”

Ezra kissed Luke’s forehead, like the dork he was, and abruptly pulled away. With a wink as he sat up, he said, “feel free to peek.”

He was up in a flash, and Luke averted his gaze as he grasped the orange pants in Luke’s drawer.

Luke waited for the fresher door to close to search for his tools and pop open his prosthetic circuit board. It would bother him if he didn’t fix the skin setting.

Luke didn’t know how much time passed, but Luke couldn’t seem to fix it. He was getting frustrated!

Before he knew it, Ezra was kneeling on the bed and grasping his arm lightly, halting his movements. “Need a little help?”

Luke sighed. “Keep a hand on my arm. I’m not sure why,” he stuck a screwdriver in the bolt, “I’m struggling right now. I can usually,” he spun the bolt and triggered a wire to fasten, “do this myself.” The wire then triggered the skin setting. “Aha! Yes!”

Ezra let go as projected flesh appeared on Luke’s arm. He blinked up at Luke, then down at the arm.

“Cool,” he said dreamily. “Now turn it back off.”

Luke batted his lashes and did as Ezra requested. He truly comprehended Ezra’s state of undress, only wearing the orange pants that were loose on his legs and fanned out on his ankles.

It seemed that Ezra understood the art of seduction as well.

“That’s better,” Ezra chirped, examining Luke’s metal arm. “Now c’mere and love me.”

Luke chuckled as Ezra’s hands found their way to his sides, pushing back the unbuttoned shirt folds. Luke responded with a light kiss, one that had Ezra in the palms of his hands.

They spent the day making out and taking naps, Ezra only leaving the room to steal leftover food from the kitchens.

The following day, Luke and Ezra were sent on a mission, receiving smug looks from everyone in Luke’s makeshift family. 

But the mission went so horribly wrong that Luke was left reeling for hours. One minute he was saving Ezra from being stolen by a Darksider witch, and the next minute he was watching Doctor Aphra strap him to medical apparatuses that Luke didn’t recognize.

When the medbay was quiet save for Ezra’s breathing and heart monitor, Luke realized that he wouldn’t sleep until Ezra awoke.

He numbly went to his room and brought two things: the book on Jedi traditions he was reading, and his datapad. He changed into a plain tee and sweatpants, then went back to the medbay.

Just as Luke was about to settle at Ezra’s bedside, Leia strode towards him. A frown marred her pale face as she gathered Luke’s face in her hands.

“Please tell me you know this isn’t your fault,” she murmured.

“I know that,” Luke said blankly.

Leia sighed in relief. “Good. That’s progress.” She seemed almost maternal as she cooed, “you just look so sad. It messes me up.”

“I’m sad because,” Luke said softly, “my boyfriend, whom I love very much, is a dumbass.”

Leia’s frown turned into a bright smile, her entire Force signature the embodiment of a rising sun. That smile was followed by a musical laugh, one that grew louder by the second.

“Oh, Luke,” Leia said fondly, “you’re amazing.” She rose to her feet and dropped her hands at her sides. “Try and sleep.”

Luke shot her a look.

Leia sighed. “I shouldn’t have tried. Okay. Don’t exhaust yourself.”

Luke nodded numbly and Leia left him in the medbay. Luke read through the rest of the book within an hour and clamored for something else to do.

He opened the innards of his datapad and had a wild idea. He ran with it all night, tweaking this or that function. He worked for hours, until the sun rose on a new day.

When Luke turned his datapad back on, he had created life.

“Meredith?” Luke asked the datapad hoarsely. “Are you awake?”

“Well,” the artificial intelligence said in an annoyed female voice, “that’s me.”

Luke grinned, the ache in his soul lessening, if only for a moment. “Hi, Meredith. I’m Luke Skywalker. I made you because I was bored. Any questions?”

“Yes,” Meredith said curtly, “where are we?”

“The medbay on the New New Republic base, currently stationed on Felucia.”

“And who is that?”

Luke glanced over at Ezra. His olive skin was waxy, his grasp on life so weak that it made Luke sick. “My boyfriend,” Luke replied, then clarified, “Ezra Bridger.”

“How do you define ‘boyfriend’?” Meredith asked. “I see multiple definitions.”

“Lover,” Luke offered as a synonym, holding back a snort at the umbrella term.

“A romantic partner,” Meredith rattled off. “I understand.”

“Any more questions?” Luke asked blankly.

“What is my purpose?” Meredith asked genuinely.

“To control my datapad beyond its natural scope of parameters,” Luke stated.

“Is that all?”

“I didn’t think much after that,” Luke admitted. “I told you I was bored.”

“What shall I call you? Mr. Skywalker? Sir?”

“Luke,” he said.

“What are these?” Meredith opened a tab that Luke had locked away on his datapad.

He blushed in embarrassment. “Episodes of a soap opera I won’t tell anyone I watch.”

“Triangle of Love,” Meredith repeated the title. “A term wherein two beings are romantically interested in a single being. Interesting.”

Luke’s eyebrow shot up. “Was that a conscious opinion?”

“I’m a fast learner,” Meredith stated.

“How about I power you off,” Luke said, “and you can learn while you sleep?”

“A nap sounds lovely,” Meredith agreed.

Luke powered down his new AI datapad and scoffed. He scared even himself, sometimes.

Ezra woke up a moment later, and Luke never felt happier to see anyone before. He was soon caught up in Ezra, and corralled his family to pay Ezra an impromptu visit.

Luke knew how much it meant to Ezra to see that Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and the droids cared for him so deeply. Ezra may have received an apology from Kanan before they left for a month-long excursion, but he was still detached from the Ghost crew, especially due to him expressing multitudes of affection for Luke.

All Luke could do was show Ezra how many people adored him outside of his family. And he knew that the message was sent, loud and clear.

After a day spent in the medbay with Ezra, Luke was assigned to fly a reconnaissance mission. 

When the banter between Ace Squadron began, Luke knew that Ezra was listening in on the comm Leia gave him. Waiting for his name to be mentioned. Waiting for the right moment to say something.

It was Wedge who soon asked, “how’s your lover boy, Luke?”

“Yes,” Kosa teased, “how is our resident eye candy?”

Oh kriff, Ezra was about to have some fun.

“Eye candy?” Luke snorted loudly. “Please.”

Ezra took the bait. “EXCUSE ME, LUKE! RUDE!”

Everyone in Ace Squadron made noises of surprise.

“Leia did give you a comm!” Wedge exclaimed.

“Holy kriff,” Juno gasped, “this is exactly why I took the comm away from my wife!”

“I can’t believe you dissed me,” Ezra hissed. “I gave you everything!” He exclaimed, too dramatic to be taken seriously.

There were scandalized gasps from Ace Squadron, realizing what Ezra meant. 

But Luke had another, more terrifying realization.

“You stole my datapad and hacked into my soap operas, didn’t you?” Luke asked flatly.

There was static, and Reena stifled a laugh. “You watch soap operas?”

“A soap opera,” Ezra chimed. “As in one. And yes. I’m obsessed, Luke. Help me!”

“Be nice to my AI,” Luke said, “and I can’t help you. Now get off the comm.”

“Fiiiine,” Ezra whined. “Bye!”

Luke heard the link break and said, “sorry about him. We’re one minute to breaking the atmosphere.”

“Luke,” Wedge teased, “what did he mean by him giving you everything?”

“Gee, Wedge,” Luke said dryly, “what do you think that means?”

Kosa and Reena cackled, those two being the most invested in Luke’s relationship with Ezra.

“Just checking, you know,” Wedge said, “so there’s no misinterpretation.”

There were further stifled laughs over the comm system, and Luke got them back on track upon breaking the atmosphere.

With the reconnaissance mission bearing fruit of a new Imperial base, Ace Squadron delivered the information to base and flew back safely.

Luke declined a round of drinks to check on Ezra in the medbay, slipping away before they could ask him to come along. He removed his orange flight suit, leaving him in leggings and a blue shirt. 

He entered the medbay to see Ezra finally reading the book that Luke finished the previous night.

Ezra flushed as he glanced over the pages and gazed at Luke. “Hi, lovely boyfriend of mine. How was your mission?”

Luke knew Ezra’s tactic for softening his ire, and Luke was ashamed to say it worked like a charm every time. 

He never could resist a little sweet talk.

“We found an Imperial base still left on Moraband,” Luke said.

Ezra’s eyes widened. “No shit.” He marked his page and shut the book, laying it on his blanketed lap. “That’s crazy.”

“Is it really?” Luke snorted, walking across the room. “Did you finally finish watching all of my secret episodes?”

Ezra beamed innocently. “It was easy, once I lightly stunned Meredith with a hacker’s program.” Before Luke could panic, Ezra said soothingly, “I promise she’s fine. Just pissed at me.”

“Good,” Luke said, “good for her.”

“Triangle of Love was wildly interesting,” Ezra said, “to my genuine surprise. So I’ve decided we’re watching it together now.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Alright, dork.”

“I also found something interesting in this,” Ezra said, touching the leather-bound book cover. “Did you know that Jedi from centuries ago wore their kyber crystals over their hearts?”

“Yes,” Luke said, sitting at his bedside, “because I read it too, Ez. What’s your point?”

Ezra sent him a dizzying grin at the expected quip. “I want to do it,” he said. “I want to wear my kyber crystal. What do you think?”

Luke recalled the page he was referring to, and didn’t think it was a good idea for himself. Ezra, though, could probably pull it off. Seeing that green light over Ezra’s heart would be a reminder of how far he had come, and how proud Luke was of him.

“You should do it,” Luke encouraged. “I think it would look nice on you.”

“Only nice?” Ezra quirked an eyebrow upwards and smirked. “How would you feel about me also cutting my hair?”

“Your hair,” Luke repeated, comprehending the words. “You want to cut your hair?”

“Not all of my hair, obviously.” Ezra shrugged. “I just think it’s too long right now. Would you be opposed?”

“I can’t really say,” Luke said honestly. “I’ve never seen you with short hair. And why do you care what I think?”

“I wanted to see if my boyfriend would enjoy it,” Ezra quipped. He said with a wink, “if that’s alright with you, boyfriend.”

“Wow,” Luke smiled while leaning towards Ezra, “you’re a complete sap, huh?”

Ezra put a finger to his lips. “Don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t,” Luke whispered. “I’ll allow you to groom yourself, heathen.”

Ezra chuckled. “You like my heathenish ways.”

“Is that even a word?”

“Yes!” Ezra insisted.

“Okay,” Luke said, “so when can you get out of here?”

“Whoa there,” Ezra waggled his thick eyebrows, “that’s a bold-”

“You know what I meant,” Luke huffed.

“Aphra said I’ve got another full day in here,” Ezra replied. “Why do you ask?”

Luke had an impulsive idea. It may be too soon to ask, but then again, they had been together for a few months. It’s not all that unreasonable.

Luke dove in and said, “I want you to move in with me.”

Ezra blinked. “You want me to,” he comprehended the words, “move in with you?”

“You don’t have to.” Luke shrugged. “I just thought...you know...you live in a little box room, and you hardly go there because you hate it so much. You’d at least have me, right?”

Ezra suddenly grinned, and it was like watching the sun rise over cloud cover and dominate the sky. “Yeah,” he murmured dazedly. “Okay. I’ll move into your room.”

Luke felt relieved that his shot in the dark worked perfectly. Neither man had many items or filled up much room. They could easily live together with few issues.

Doctor Aphra came to check on Ezra, and Luke waited the allotted time for Ezra to be released from the medbay. Seeing his fast recovery was inspiring, especially for when Luke next found himself injured in the medbay. It happened way too often, and it became a bit of a joke between the couple.

When Ezra was finally allowed to wear his usual clothes rather than blue scrubs, — the latter of which made him look quite handsome, in Luke’s opinion — he moved out of his box room. Ezra brought the only two bags to his name in Luke’s bedroom, the move not taking very long. Leia helped Luke find matching furniture, and his bedroom soon became Ezra’s too.

It was after they were settled that Luke found himself waiting outside his room for Ezra to be ready for a dinner function. Luke was tasked with helping gain funding from various star systems and make Leia and Han seem as trustworthy as possible.

Han once took the allotted funding to create a contraband smuggler ring. Leia endorsed it, and Luke realized that he had to do some serious lying at this fancy dinner tonight.

Ezra wanted to come as Luke’s ‘arm candy,’ as he put it. Once Leia overheard the conversation, Luke was forced to allow Ezra’s presence. 

Luke waited outside his door, wearing gray form-fitting slacks and a tucked-in pearly dress shirt. His hair was especially fluffy, and he borrowed a pair of Han’s black dress shoes.

He was getting impatient. He nudged Ezra through the Force and received a nudge back that said ‘I know, I’m coming, stop it.’

Luke sensed his sister walk down the hallway, Han decorating her arm. He smiled at Leia’s Alderaanian-style white dress and Han’s expensive clothes.

“Look at you,” Leia remarked, “so adorable.”

“That’s the adjective you choose?” Luke snorted. “Okay, then.”

“Is Ezra still in there?” Han’s brows climbed high. “I wouldn’t label him as a fussy guy.”

“He isn’t,” Luke said, “I don’t know what he’s doing.”

“Well,” Leia said, “we’re going to go ahead. Don’t take too long.”

Luke nodded, and Leia glided away, Han matching her pace.

As they rounded the corner, Ezra keyed open the bedroom door. Luke walked across the hall and leaned against the opposite wall.

When Ezra revealed himself, Luke was completely frozen in place.

Ezra had shorn his hair into a military-style buzzcut, the lack of curls framing the structure of his face rather attractively. It was like seeing him for the first time, Ezra’s barriers down and little insecurities extinguished. He didn’t care that his cheekbone scars were more prominent than ever, his hardened blue eyes showing a confidence beyond false bravado that Luke rarely saw in him. He wore a crisp pearly dress shirt, buttoned all the way to the neck, but the fabric was loose enough that he could breathe easily. Underneath the collar was a corded necklace, a soft green glow over his heart that could only be a kyber crystal. The shirt was belted in with black slacks, and Luke absently wondered if Leia had anything to do with his new outfit.

She probably did. Luke hated her and loved her so much.

“So?” Ezra locked the door and crossed the hallway in a single pace. Ezra was immediately in Luke’s personal space, looking up at him, softening his tone. “What do you think?” 

Luke drank in the details of Ezra’s face, the sharpness of his jawline and the smoothness of his cheeks and the bronze tint to his pores.

His lips curved upwards. “It works for you.”

Ezra’s grin was as bright as Tatooine’s twin suns rising at the same time, crossing over each other in a blood orange display. “Yeah? I wasn’t sure once I looked in the mirror. I thought I looked so strange that after a minute I really wasn’t-”

Luke captured Ezra’s lips in his, effectively cutting off his rambling. He felt Ezra’s smile and heard his bubbly chuckle wade to the back of Luke’s teeth. Ezra cupped Luke’s cheek and deepened the kiss further, neither breaking away until they couldn’t breathe.

Ezra tipped his head to the side and exhaled on Luke’s cheek. His lashes brushed against Luke’s skin, and he pressed a kiss to Luke’s jaw.

“Message received,” Ezra murmured.

Luke smirked, not bothering to hide his reddening blush. “Good. Now come on. We gotta get going.”

Ezra hummed and stepped back, slinging their elbows together. He went to Luke’s side, and Luke pushed off the wall.

They walked in synchronized steps while arm-in-arm, Ezra leaning into him. Luke felt Ezra’s body heat reflected off of his own, and he wanted nothing more than to forget tonight and retire to their bed.

They reached the reception hall a moment later, and Luke said, “last chance to back out, Ez.”

Ezra smiled up at him, his eyes shining. “Never.”

Luke matched his smile dazedly, and walked into the bustling reception hall before he could get any ideas.

**Author's Note:**

> The final part of this series will be set a decade in the future, which I alluded to in my Lothal fic.
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated!


End file.
